Pennsbury On Point is a weekly newsletter designed to keep the Pennsbury community up-to-date on district news, events, and information. The newsletter will be emailed to families weekly and archived on the district's Public Relations webpage.

If you have any photos or story ideas you would like to see featured, please email the Public Relations Department at publicrelations@pennsburysd.org.

Students from Pennwood Middle School proudly represented their school at this month's School Board Action Meeting. Sigourney Haque and Abigail Huff, joined by Principal Derek Majikas updated the school board on all of the exciting events and learning taking place at Pennwood. Each month, a different school provides an update to the Pennsbury School Board of Directors. Click below to see their presentation.

Pictured above: Dr. Smith (left), Superintendent of Schools, Abigail Huff, Sigourney Haque, Mr. Majikas, Mr. Sanderson, School Board Vice President

Congratulations to the Pennsbury-LYFT Character Award winners for January. Students Ava Gordon, Parker Bowman, Lucy Schopfer*, and Colin Estroff* were honored for their Caring Nature and Service to Others at the Pennsbury School Board of Directors meeting on Thursday, January 20, 2023. Morgan Lewis, a winner of December’s Fairness and Sportsmanship LYFT award, was also honored at the meeting. Click here to read more.

The purpose of the Pennsbury-LYFT Character Award is to recognize and reward students who embody exemplary character traits and behaviors. Each month, students are nominated by teachers, staff, or administration, and the winners are selected by LYFT and other community partners. LYFT is a group of volunteers, individuals, and organizations throughout the community that shares the common goal of strengthening and supporting Pennsbury students.

*Lucy and Colin were unable to attend this month's meeting.

Pennsbury's favorite autism ambassador, Ben Hartranft, is back for another round of school visits! The popular public speaker with an infectious personality stopped by Penn Valley Elementary School to share his inspirational message of kindness and inclusion.

Ben was diagnosed with autism at the age of two. He only knew about 20 words, while most children his age knew around 200 words on average. Ben exceeded expectations and dreamed of becoming an ambassador for autism awareness and acceptance.

"I am now living that dream by speaking at schools, businesses, and organizations. Sharing my story; how inclusion and kindness shaped my life with autism," says Ben.

In addition to being a public motivator and speaker through his company, Benergy1, Ben is also a Philadelphia Eagles Autism Ambassador and raises money for the Eagles Autism Challenge. Today's visit was perfect timing for the Eagles playoff game against the Giants on January 21. Ben concluded his presentation by leading the entire school in the Eagles fight song and displayed his prized Eagles helmet featuring the signatures of the entire 2017 Championship team.

Ben encourages everyone to "Go out and Be The One1!" He says it only takes one kind person to change the world. Ben will be visiting more schools throughout the remainder of the year.

Learn more about Ben at www.benergy1.com.

Students at Afton Elementary School paid a visit to space on Friday, January 20, through the SkyDome Mobile Planetarium. The young space explorers learned about the Greek constellations, the Milky Way galaxy, the sun, the moon, and all the planets during an engaging 45-minute presentation in an air-filled, giant Planetarium set up in the school's gymnasium. The SkyDome Mobile Planetarium was made possible thanks to a grant from the Pennsbury Education Foundation and the help of the Afton PTO.

This past Monday, Edgewood Elementary School and their PTO held a Martin Luther King Day of Service project to benefit the Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania. Students and families gathered and made the day off from school a day of community service to honor the legacy of Dr. King. Families sorted through donations and constructed get well cards for CHOP patients.

Additionally, the school engaged in various learning activities throughout the week to celebrate the life of Dr. King by creating historical timeline pieces and biographies. Featured here are the works of Mrs. Murphy's second grade class, as well as Mr. Mount's third grade class.

Students in the fifth-grade gifted program at Oxford Valley Elementary School recently completed their Greek Mythology unit and shared what they learned with their classmates. The students, under the guidance of Mrs. Cohoon, created a museum with gallery-style exhibits that featured the Greek God or Goddess of their choice.

The students designed a poster detailing various facts about their Greek God or Goddess, along with an informational digital brochure for the museum guests. Students were also challenged to design and create a 3D model of their God of Goddesses' symbol out of repurposed materials such as paper towel rolls, cardboard, etc.

The impact that Pennsbury students and staff will have on those less fortunate in our community extends far beyond the holidays. That was the message from Major Duane Harris from the Salvation Army, who attended the January 19 school board meeting to thank the District, the school board, and students for supporting the organization's annual holiday Red Kettle Drive.

Over the holiday season, the District and Bucks County Technical High School raised nearly $10,000 for the Red Kettle Drive. Major Harris said they helped 469 families over the holidays with that money, providing them with food, clothing, and toys. Now that the holidays are over, they'll provide emergency assistance to Lower Bucks families for rent, utilities, and food.

Students and staff from each school in Pennsbury, along with the National Honor Society, Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, marching band, and football team volunteered their time on Saturdays throughout December to ring the bell and collect funds.

"To see them giving of themselves and their willingness to give up time on Saturday to help the Salvation Army reach out to the community of Lower Bucks County is an amazing thing," Major Harris told the school board.

Pennsbury School Board Vice President Gary Sanderson has helped organize Pennsbury's involvement with the Red Kettle Drive since 2016.

"I am never disappointed with the compassion and dedication that Pennsbury shows towards the less fortunate in our community," said Gary Sanderson.

Click here to read more about the history of the Red Kettle.

Mrs. Otto's third grade enrichment group at Penn Valley Elementary School recently had fun studying robots in a creative way. Using recycled materials, students created their own robot that solved a real-world problem, such as: a robot that solves security issues by functioning as an alarm, security system and watch dog; a robot that makes dresses for someone on vacation so they can pack lightly; a robot 'Cat Nanny" that would play, feed, and clean up after your cat; and a robot that solves the problem of being bored on rainy days by becoming a complete gaming system with unlimited games.

The students then wrote their own commercial and pitched their product to a group of selected "sharks." Each shark was able to ''invest money" with the inventors that displayed a winning idea and who demonstrated an excellent entrepreneurial spirit.

The Pennsbury Speech and Debate team earned the 2023 Team Sweepstakes award at the Winter Invitational at Cumberland Valley in Mechanicsburg, PA held on Sunday, January 15. The award is presented to the top school at the tournament.

The team also won six first-place awards with sophomore Michael Lynott leading the way with two first-place finishes in both the Declamation and Commentary categories, and placing first in all of his preliminary rounds in Commentary. Other individual awards included:

Gabrielle Bamberski - 1st Place, Lincoln Douglas Debate

Gianna Mathas - 2nd Place, Lincoln Douglas Debate

Michael Davis and Meghan Crohe - 1st Place, Policy Debate

Fabbiha Afaf and Olivia Beno - 2nd Place, Policy Debate

Samarth Mannikeri - 1st Place, Extemporaneous Speaking

Kierstin Lee - 1st Place, Dramatic Interpretation/Humorous Interpretation

Dajan Ahluwalia - 3rd Place, Dramatic Interpretation/Humorous Interpretation

Coral Ramo-Saturria and Kierstin Lee - 2nd Place, Duo Interpretation

Samarth Mannikeri - 2nd Place, Impromptu

Arjun Koneru - 3rd Place, Impromptu

Swathi Bodduluri - 2nd Place, Congress

Zaki Ali - 3rd Place, Congress

Vinay Belagodu - 2nd Place, Extemporaneous Debate

Anwita Janga - 2nd Place, Declamation

Riya Lakhani and Varun Patel - 3rd Place, Public Forum Debate

Jyotirmal Kadiyala - 3rd Place, Poetry

Aneesa Shaik - 3rd Place, Prose

Twelve schools and over 120 competitors participated in Saturday’s tournament. Congratulations to all of the Pennsbury competitors and Coach Chris Berdnik!

Quarry Hill Elementary School recently held school-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports booster assemblies for students and staff. Team leaders Jess Hilbert, Megan Marchese, and Jess Wagman presented PAWS behavior reminders. Students are taught to use PAWS to achieve academic excellence and social/emotional success. PAWS stands for Practice Respect, Accept Responsibility, Work Together, and Stay Positive.

Music teacher Jen Stephens began each assembly by leading the students in the singing of the PAWS song, for which she wrote the music and lyrics. In between booster lessons, physical education teacher Craig Van Demark organized "minute to win it" games for students and staff.

Through the PAWS program, Quarry Hill is dedicated to weaving character education through every element of the school day in order to create a supportive environment that partners with parents and the community to foster the academic, emotional, and social growth of students ​in order to develop responsible, productive, and caring citizens.

A PAWSitive experience was had by all!

Pennsbury High School Drama Presents: The Phantom of the Opera

Click here to purchase tickets.

Showtimes:

February 17 8:00pm (Friday)

February 18 8:00pm (Saturday)

February 19 2:00pm (Sunday)

Pricing:

$20 Orchestra (Reserved Seating)

$15 Lower Balcony (Reserved Seating)

**$10 Upper Balcony (Unreserved Seating/General Admission)

Discounts:

**Seniors presenting a Pennsbury Gold Card and Veterans with proper identification will

receive one free unreserved upper balcony ticket, or $10 off of any other ticket level.

Online Ticket Sales:

Tickets on sale now! Click here to purchase.

In-Person Ticket Sales:

CASH ONLY -- Auditorium Lobby at Pennsbury High School East:

-- At the door one hour before each performance for that evening’s performance only

Questions:

Contact Mrs. Fallacaro at dfallacaro@pennsburysd.org

All Sales are Final – No Refunds or Exchanges

**Gold Card, Veteran discounts, and Upper Balcony tickets can only be purchased during in-person ticket sales or at the box office on the day of the performance**

We need your help Pennsbury! Mrs. Metzger, a 7th-grade science teacher at Charles Boehm Middle School, has been nominated for the NHL Most Valuable Teacher for January! If Mrs. Metzger wins, Charles Boehm will receive $10,000 towards Environmental Sustainability Resources. You can vote one time each day until January 31! Click here to vote for Mrs. Metzger!

On January 31, 2023, the Pennsbury School District Board of Directors will hold a special meeting to review the findings of Public Financial Management's (PFM) Pennsbury-Morrisville Merger Feasibility Study. The report will include a detailed financial and academic analysis that the Pennsbury and Morrisville Borough School Districts can use to determine whether and how to move forward with a potential merger or tuition agreement. Neither school board will be voting on the report or any recommendations at this meeting, and no vote is scheduled regarding a merger or tuition agreement. There will be an opportunity for public comment. Click the link below to read the Pennsbury-Morrisville Merger Feasibility Study

Spring Registration is now OPEN for Pennsbury Community School!

New courses this Spring include Zumba, Vinyasa Yoga, Goals-based Investing, and Ceramics!

Courses are offered to anyone 18+ years of age and are not limited to just employees or Pennsbury residents. Invite your friends and family to enroll with you!

Check out the catalogue of courses below and click here to register.

The Student Assistance Program (SAP) is a team of school staff and an SAP Counselor who work together to address concerns that may be interfering with a student's ability to be successful in school. Check out the monthly newsletter below.

The Affordable Connectivity Program is a Federal Communications Commission program that helps connect families and households struggling to afford internet service. This new benefit provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward broadband service for eligible households. Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers.

Eligible households can enroll through a participating broadband provider or directly with the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) using an online or mail-in application.

You can learn more about the benefit, including eligibility and enrollment information, by visiting www.fcc.gov/ACP, or by calling 877-384-2575.

The mission of the Pennsbury School District's Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is to collaborate with administration and parents to facilitate communication, sharing of resources, and offering of support programs. SEPAC strives to improve the experiences and education of all students who receive special education, while promoting understanding, acceptance, and inclusion within the Pennsbury School District. Click here to learn more.

SEPAC holds monthly meetings, and all parents are welcome to join. Their next meeting is Thursday, February 16 at 1:00 p.m. If you are interested in attending, please fill out this interest form.

The Pennsbury School District is making a concerted effort to ensure that students who reside within our District boundaries are able to attend the school they are assigned to based on their home address. To help us, we have established a Confidential Residency Reporting Tip Line. If you believe someone is falsifying their student's address to attend the Pennsbury School District, please call or email:

residency@pennsburysd.org

(215) 428-4100 ext. 84777 (TIPSS)

Please click here for more information.

Do you enjoy working with children?

Do you like working close to home and earning a competitive salary?

Becoming a Pennsbury Bus Driver is the job for you!

We offer…

- A competitive salary
- Flexible hours
- A student-centered work environment
- Paid training for your CDL

Come join our team!

Apply online at: www.pennsburysd.org or call: 215-428-4140

Current CDL holders can start right away! (Once they receive proper clearances)

The annual required Chromebook fee that allows students in grades 5-12 to take their device home can now be paid online. The price is $40.00 (reduced to $15 for students who qualify for free and reduced lunch). The Chromebook fee can be paid by logging on to PowerSchool through a web browser, not the PowerSchool mobile app. Cash or check payments are also accepted at each school.

Please click here for more details

Click here to visit the Pennsbury School District's E-Flyers Page. On this page, you will find flyers that represent current or ongoing announcements of interest to Pennsbury students and families. To obtain approval for a flyer to be posted on the E-Flyers Page, please email your request to Macy Cellitti at mcellitti@pennsburysd.org.

Click here to view Pennsbury High School's Student Job Board and find local area businesses with open positions. Some positions allow applicants as young as 14 years old.

Click here for information on how to obtain a work permit.

Have a question about Pennsbury? Don't trust the rumors, ask Penny!

Send Penny an email at askpenny@pennsburysd.org, or leave a message at 215-428-4100, ext. 73669 (PENNY).

Safe2Say Something is a youth violence prevention program run by the PA Office of Attorney General. Report a confidential tip to help prevent violence and tragedies.

Click here to submit an anonymous tip.

Did you miss an email from the District? Check the archive!

The Nutrition Group is now hiring! Positions include Food Service Workers, Cooks, and Kitchen Managers with rates from $15-$17 per hour. The hours are Monday-Friday, school hours only. No nights, weekends, or holidays! Apply today by calling the Nutrition Group office at 215-949-6740 ext. 2, or click here and search for "Pennsbury"!

Dr. Thomas Smith, Superintendent of Schools

tsmith@pennsburysd.org

215-428-4111

Email: publicrelations@pennsburysd.org

Website: www.pennsburysd.org
Location: 134 Yardley Avenue, Fallsington, PA 19058
Phone: (215)-428-4100